Page 120 of Mage of the Dragon Prince
Auslin’s heart raced as the stranger invaded his personal space.
The shifter leaned closer, his nostrils flaring slightly. “Especially when you smell so damn good.” He reached out to grab him.
Auslin put his training to use by ducking around the wolf shifter. He got behind him, then used all his strength to shove the stranger into the river. It gavehim enough time to grab his sword and scabbard to hold in a defensive stance.
The wolf shifter angrily sputtered as he pulled himself out of the river. “I intended to have fun with you, but you had to ruin that.”
“Leave,” Auslin ordered in his firmest voice. He channeled his power into his sword, the purple flames of his power surging on the blade’s edges.
“Now I will have to punish you for your insolence.” The wolf shifter stalked closer to Auslin once more.
“Then you leave me no choice.”
Before Auslin could launch his attack, Kitaro’s voice boomed loudly in the river glen. “Prince Fenalo!”
The wolf shifter’s dark eyes narrowed at the sight of Kitaro approaching. “Fancy meeting you here, Prince Kitaro.”
The dragon shifter got between the two men. “What are you doing here?”
“I was merely satisfying my curiosity.”
“You may leave now.” There was a rumbling threat of violence in Kitaro’s tone if he wasn’t obeyed.
“But I was just about to play a game with that human you seem to be guarding.” Fenalo playfully pouted, but his glare at Auslin was venomous. “I had heard rumors your father had accepted a human into your clan, but I found it almost impossible to believe. And yet, here he is.”
“I will not allow you to do as you please,” Kitaro growled. “Leave us at once.”
Fenalo sighed dramatically. “You never let any of us have any fun.”
“That is because your idea of fun causes nothing but problems.” Kitaro rested his hand on his sword hilt in a silent threat.
Fenalo held up his hands in surrender. “Well, if nothing else, I will enjoy making my cousin jealous. I will send him your fond regards.”
“That is unnecessary,” Kitaro snarled.
The wolf shifter walked off with a wave. He called out over his shoulder, “Perhaps we shall play another time. A pleasure, as always, Prince Kitaro.”
Once Fenalo was well out of earshot, Auslin sheathed his sword. He looked questioningly at Kitaro. “You know that guy?”
“Unfortunately.” Kitaro scowled as he scanned the area to make sure the shifter was really gone. “He is an irritant I mercifully have few interactions with these days.”
“Who’s his cousin?” Auslin asked.
“Nasume.”
Auslin bristled with outrage. “Seriously? Out ofallthe people we could have run into, it had to be someone related toNasume?” What was it with his awful luck with wolf shifters?
“Nasume’s uncle is the king ofReflorna. Since we are on their lands, it is an unfortunate reality that we may confront more of Nasume’s relatives.”
“Ugh, I hope not,” Auslin groaned. “Is everybody in his family a terrible person?”
“Pretty much.” Kitaro frowned. “I can only hope as we move farther west that we will not encounter anyone else from his pack.”
“Well, that makes me feel even better about pushing him into the river.”
“It was most amusing seeing him drenched,” Kitaro admitted with a chuckle. “I regret I did not get to witness your triumph over him.”
“Hopefully, that teaches him a lesson to not come back and harass us later.”
